Prelude to a Lost Race
by MilleniaMaster
Summary: One-shot, Pre-FE7. An Ilian woman and a Sacaean man meet under certain conditions and their destinies become one. Several years later, a man will journey around Elibe and discover a secret long kept hidden from the continent and its people. (Setup for a Post-FE7, Pre-FE6 multi-chapter story. Request to co-write this story! See profile for details).


A dirty blonde-haired woman stole a peak out of the window, hearing some sort of commotion going on outside. She could see a group of people standing in the cold weather of Ilia at the small port a short ways away from the village. A great big ship had dropped anchor and set up planks for their men to come ashore.

"Melanie, what's going on out there?" another woman asked. Melanie, the girl referred to turned her head to look back at her black-haired friend sitting at the stone hearth of her home. She was wrapped in a thin blanket that did a poor job of protecting her from the cold.

"It looks like some merchants have landed in the port. I'm going to go out there," Melanie replied.

"Can you stop by the woodworks shop and buy some more firewood as well, please?" her friend asked. Melanie flashed her friend a smile and nodded quickly before grabbing another blanket and walking out the door.

The entire village was covered almost three feet deep in snow. The weather had been extra harsh to them this year, forcing the villagers to come out and face the cold to try and shovel the snow out of the way so they could have paths to get from place to place. Some of the people in the village caught colds that lasted forever and some even went down with a fever that resulted in their people dying. They were among the poorest village in Ilia.

Melanie wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and quickened her pace to the port. There, she joined the group of people as they watched men carry large wooden crates off the boat.

A big burly man with a beard and grey jacket stepped off the boat. He looked around the group of people before he bellowed out, "Is your village chief here?"

As the people in the group looked around, one of them caught sight of Melanie and they each made eye contact for a split second before he pointed at her and shouted, "The magistrate's daughter is here!"

Melanie glared at the man and the group of people parted away so she could walk up to the front. Melanie found the pirate to be much taller than her. The big man snorted with a smirk and leaned down to meet her and eye level.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little girl?" the man snickered. Melanie found it hard to concentrate and face the man when his breath smelled heavily of smoke. He had recently smoked and cigar.

"Name I ask the name of the man addressing me?" she asked, while trying hard not to gag.

"Name's Gered; Captain Gered. I lead this merchant ship."

"What is your business here?"

"We were hauling loads of goods up to the Edessa when the oceans further north started freezing up a bit. We've decided to dock here until they clear up." Gered answered and sneered. "I hope you don't mind us staying a bit."

"You'll have to talk with my father about that. Unfortunately he's in his home right now. He's been sick for a while," Melanie spoke softly. Gered huffed and stood tall.

"Maybe a mug of our whiskey will help you're old man, ha ha! Please tell him to see me at my tent when he gets better."

"I'll see to it that he is informed of your presence."

Gered smirked and added "And don't worry about yourself, pretty. I already have a family."

He laughed and walked away. As his men followed him, she caught sight of a man with long, straight black hair walking past her, noticing how the ends of his hair were dyed a bright blue. She could tell that he was not of Ilian descent; his facial features were sharp and stern. He was more of Sacaean descent. His hair framed his handsome face neatly. The two of them kept eye contact as the man walked by in a sharp black robe with the bottom flaps flailing around his legs. There was a sword at his hip and a bow slung over his shoulder.

Melanie didn't know what it was, but something about the man seemed alluring to her.

… … …

The men from the ship set up their camp just outside the boundaries of their village. Although it felt like there were no boundaries at all with these freebooters marching in and out of their village like it they owned it. Melanie took precautions when venturing outside in order to avoid a run-in with any them. She never saw Captain Gered around, though. She heard that he had a son to look after named Geitz, which forced him to stay in their own grounds.

She didn't see much of the strange native man, either. Melanie saw him from a distance standing in their campsite sometimes, but they never got within a few feet of each other.

That is until one day…

Melanie sought some medicine from the local shop, but the shopkeeper—as gracious as he was—didn't have any drops of medicine felt for her father. He said that the pirates had bought the last few bottles from him earlier. He advised her that if she could go ask them kindly now, she might catch them with one of the bottles still full. Melanie resented the idea of going into the site of the crew, already well aware of how disgustingly burly they were. But she had no choice. The life of her father depended on that medicine.

So Melanie ventured into the campsite of the pirates. The wind was blowing extra harsh with snowflakes sticking to everything that wasn't covered up: even on the side of the ship was covered with an icy blanket. She didn't know which tent to go to, so she randomly picked a tent while fighting the bitter bite of the blizzard.

She walked into the tent of the very man that caught her eye. He was sitting down, wrapped up in a pile of blankets with a single candle barely keeping alive with the flaps of the tent trying to resist the strong winds. Although the tent stood strong, the man with black and blue hair looked almost pathetic in the bundle of sheets he was in.

The two of them kept eye contact for a while. Melanie had frozen in fear of the man lashing out at her for intruding his space unannounced, but the feeling quickly went away as she gazed upon his sad form.

Finally, she conjured some words to say. "Not used to the cold?" she asked lightly.

The man shook his head. "Sacae is mostly very hot during the year."

"You're from Sacae? That makes sense: you look different from all the other men."

"I'm told I'm the only one of Sacaean descent among the captain's crew," the man confirmed. Another moment of silence prolonged until he added. "Are you here for something?"

"The shopkeeper told me some of your crew members bought the last bottles of medicine. I had hoped to come and find if they still had a bottle they hadn't used yet so I could give it to my father," Melanie explained.

"Does your father not do well with the cold as well?" the man inquired.

"No. He's just been sick for a while. If I mix it with some herbs I could give it to him."

The man scooted around in his pile of blankets. Melanie waited as he appeared to be looking for something. But looking for what, she wondered. It couldn't be…

The man pulled back some thick sheets and finally revealed a small clear glass bottle. Melanie gasped; it was just the bottle she was looking for to treat her father with. The man grabbed the bottled and held it out to her.

"I already used the other three bottles. I too have to mix herbs to keep me well in the cold," he told her. Melanie picked up the bottle with both her hands like it was the lifeline to her father's survival. "What kind of herbs do you use?"

"Uh, a few procumbens, Poor Man's Treacle and nucifera oil." Melanie struggled to name the herbs she used through her shock in the amazing coincidence she had been given. The man got up to his feet.

"That's it?" he questioned. Melanie looked up at him. He turned and grabbed a small wooden box. There was a leaf just barely sticking out of the lid. "There are more herbs in here I use that might prove beneficial to your father."

"Oh, but I don't know how to use any other herbs than the ones I use," Melanie replied.

"I could create the medicine for you, if you like," the Sacaean native offered.

"Really? You would do that for me?" the girl asked with bright eyes. The man smiled and nodded. "Oh, thank you! Come with me; I'll take you to see my father."

Melanie didn't know why she accepted help from the stranger so eagerly. It might have had something to do with her desperateness to get the medicine to her father as soon as possible—he was a bit overdue.

Melanie led the man into the blizzard all the way to her village, where the houses provided poor protection from the wind, but anything was better than no coverage at all. In the centre of the village was where Melanie's father's house was. Since she was old enough, Melanie had moved out and had her own house made. She guided the man into the house and quickly closed the door and turned around to look at her father.

He was lying on the bed. His short black hair and facial hair together made him look quite scruffy, but his pale skin and the dark bags under his eyes made him look terrible. Melanie quietly walked to her father's bedside and sat on the edge.

"Father, I'm here," she murmured. A small smiled formed on her father's lips. "You'll be feeling better soon."

She got up and turned to the native man and found he was already getting started on making the medicine, moving some wooden dishes out of the way so he had some workspace. Melanie helped him with clearing the dishes and followed the man's instructions that helped him create the medicine. He grounded his extras ingredients into a bowl and mixed some water in it to create a thick, green substance. The man then fed the mixture to her father, feeding him small spoonfuls at a time. He didn't even use half of the bowl when he stopped and gave the rest for Melanie.

"You can save the rest for another time. It shouldn't go bad for a while, even in cold conditions like this," he told her. Melanie nodded and put a cloth over the bowl and put it away.

"Thank you so much for helping," she thanked silently. The man only shook his head.

"In my tribe, we must look out for each other. I merely did what I was taught to do. But you're welcome."

Melanie smiled in gratitude. "Well, we don't get a lot of that up here. It's a rarity, really, so I very much appreciate it. I'm Melanie, by the way."

"Yes, I heard that from the rest of the crew. My name is Rajing," the Sacaean replied.

"Ok, Rajing. I want to return the favor to you. Allow me to offer you a place to sleep in my home. It's much warmer in there than your tent, I bet. And seeing as you brought some of your blankets already…"

Rajing replied with a small smile, "That is most kind. I will gladly take the offer."

Melanie urged the man to follow her back out into the storm of Ilia and led him to her own home. It was smaller, but neatly kept, dry and warm. Melanie liked to keep her home clean as much as possible, using everything she had to plug up all the holes that let the cold air in. She formed a makeshift bed for Rajing and heated up some tea for the both of them. The cobblestone stove that the local smith made for her vented all the smoke and gases from the burning coal to the outside, making the house safe. Somewhat. The strong winds of the blizzard that was raging outside pushed on the house's walls, making them creak and groan sometimes.

"I hope this is good enough for you. I usually try to keep this place as clean as I can." Melanie stood and watched as Rajing set his own blankets down and looked around the room.

"This is fine. It's surprisingly warm in here," he commented.

"Well, I try. If there's anything you need, let me know," the girl replied. The Sacaean native nodded and Melanie walked away into the other room.

… … …

The blizzard eventually calmed down after a few days. Each time Rajing had to take shelter in Melanie's home. The girl didn't mind at all. Rajing was a pleasant guest to have. His mannerism was much better than his fellow crew members, who did nothing but drink most of the time and walk around their village, making most of the villagers feel uncomfortable. Scurvy wasn't much of a factor, but there was occasionally a man who would come down with a terrible flu.

The medicine Rajing had given her father was working very well. For the first time in several months, he was able to walk around. Melanie was shocked when she walked in to find him even standing up without becoming ill. The medicine had done much more for her father than she had expected. Melanie was very thankful for stumbling upon Rajing.

There seemed to be no friction developing between the pirates and the villagers, even though Melanie would occasionally stumble across a pair of spectators who would talk some trash about the pirates and how they didn't like them walking around them home. She didn't like it either, but there wasn't much they could do. They were weak and the pirates were strong.

A day came along where Melanie had to go out to the local brewery. That was her job; filling the barrels that held all the wine. She had to take the barrels to the back where more containers full of wine were stored, fill the barrels and take it back to the front. She had a small wagon with wheels to help her, of course. Those barrels were way too heavy for her to carry and lift onto the shack herself. Her manager, who was also the owner of the building, had her fill the barrels late that day. Their storage was running out because the pirates were consuming it all.

A few of the crew members stayed a while late that night. They were drunk and dizzy and made _a lot_ of noise. Melanie ignored them for the most part, but it became difficult when they came up to the counter.

"Oi lass! Can you get your sweetheart another brew of that sweet stuff?" A bearded man said this somewhere between a mumble and another state that Melanie couldn't find out. The man laughed to his friends. The girl only rolled her eyes and served him a mug of beer. It wasn't long before he finished it and asked for another one.

"Shouldn't you be heading back to your ship before you become too drunk to walk?" Melanie suggested nonchalantly. The drunken man slammed the mug against the countertop and put his face up right to her's, scaring her.

"Are you calling me an idiot?" he shouted at her. Melanie was frightened, but stood her ground. She had dealt with people who had gone over the edge many times before. But this was different. They were three of them and this particular man had lashed out at her.

Oddly, the man began to smile. The smile grew into a hysterical laugh and the man fell back into his chair. "I'm just toying with your, darling! One more and I'll hit the road," he said with mirth. Melanie stepped away and filled his mug one last time, and then locked the tap and began to close shop. The three drunkards eventually left, and Melanie made sure to lock the door on the way out.

It was dark out. Melanie would usually go to her father's house to make sure he was in bed and well, but with the new medicine she was giving him, she didn't feel the need to go check.

That, unfortunately, led to what was about to happen to her. Melanie turned the corner and saw her home within sight when she was suddenly grabbed by the back of her dress and pulled into a small, narrow alleyway. She was thrown into the cold, snow-covered ground and something fell on top of her. Melanie struggled to get free and was able to push the brigand off of her. She got to her feet and back away, but the end of the alley was blocked off, leaving her with no chance of escape.

The figure standing on front of her wobbled back a little, trying to keep upright. He struggled to say "Come on, girly. What's wrong with a little love?" with a grisly and drunk voice. Melanie recognized the voice and her eyes widened at the man in front of her.

The man stepped forward, bringing his face closer to the light. He seemed to be studying her, as his eyes were narrowed. "Hey, you're the woman at the pub." He finished with a disgusting belch.

"Go home, please. I-I want no trouble," Melanie told him. But it was the old 'in one ear and out the other' circumstance, as the man didn't do that. He only smiled devilishly.

"Not until I get what I want." He then lurched forward and grabbed Melanie by the arms. She tried to release herself from his grip, but the man was too strong for her. He pushed her back into the snow and pinned her down. Once she tried to scream, the man clamped his hand over her mouth so nothing could be heard. "Just sit back and enjoy this, sweetheart. I've done this before."

He then proceeded to untie her winter robes and put them aside. It got colder and Melanie was being stripped of her clothes, but there was nothing she could do. The man was simply too strong, and nothing could be heard because his hand was placed so tight over her mouth she could even move her jaw.

The man was suddenly pulled back off of her body. Melanie immediately reached for her clothes and covered herself up. Meanwhile the man was yanked back and a sword sliced through his chest, spraying blood on the wall and on the snow. The shaken girl tied her clothes back up and tried to warm up. It was very cold out and having nearly no clothes on wasn't good. Melanie got to her feet and looked at the man who had saver her.

"Rajing!" she cried in relief. The Sacaean man turned around, sheathing his sword. The drunkard who assaulted Melanie was dead.

"Melanie. Are you alright? You're not hurt?" Rajing inquired, walking up to her so he could inspect her closer. He found a couple bruise marks under her chin and neck. "You are hurt. Let's go back to your home and we'll tend to it."

"But Rajing, that man—"

"He was a troublemaker from the start. Come on." The native grabbed Melanie's arm and pulled her along, past the fallen corpse of the man who tried to rape her. Melanie wasn't too shocked by it. In Ilia, death was a common thing.

They walked back to Melanie's house and Rajing set her down on her bed. He insisted that he do the work and that she should just relax. Rajing grabbed some soothing medicine from the cabinets and applied them over the individual bruises. Melanie remained still and didn't say anything. They found bruise marks over her wrists where the man held her down as well and Rajing used more the cream to cover them. After all the bruises had been taken care of, Rajing made sure to have Melanie rest, but she couldn't go to sleep. She was still shaken by the events of that evening.

While Rajing tried to help, Melanie threw her arms around him in a hug. She just needed a moment to stand still, and she found that being close to the man who had saved her, as well as become her friend over the week was the best way to accomplish that. Rajing carefully put his arms around her smaller frame to comfort her.

A tear fell from the girl's eyelids, and then more started to fall soon after. Melanie began to sob into Rajing's coat for a while until she found she had the willpower to stop. She looked up and saw his lean and patient face staring back.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for saving me. I-I don't know what would've—"

Rajing gently placed a finger over her lips. "There is no need. I merely found you by chance. It wasn't like I was looking for you. But you're welcome."

A small smile appeared on his lips. Melanie burrowed her head in his chest again and hugged him one final time before settling into bed. She was very grateful for his presence this particular day.

… … …

It would be two months later when the oceans were finally ready to cross. The waters became restless, making it impossible for ice to form and broke up what ice already existed on the surface. Captain Gered and his crew were packing up their tents and supplies and were loading them onto the ship that had earned a thin layer of frost all over it. For the first time in nearly forever, Melanie's father stood outside, watching them from the village gates.

The old man turned around and saw the joy of his life; his daughter, a little further away talking with the Sacaean native who she had grown so fond of, Rajing. Those two had become such good acquaintances over the past weeks. He had seen the growth that had occurred between them. He had never seen Melanie so social before. Usually all she did was stay in her home, work at the bar or take care of him in his sickly state. But now that he was recovering, this gave Melanie more time to spend with the Sacaean. He was glad to see that her daughter was enjoying her time, and it was all thanks to Rajing.

The magistrate turned back to the ship and saw the captain walking up the hill towards them. There was a small box in his hands that he was carrying. He reached the gates where the magistrate stood and caught a glimpse of the two friends not far away.

"Well aren't they a happy couple?" Captain Gered remarked.

"Yes they are. Rajing is a good man. I'm not sure I would still be alive if it wasn't for him," the magistrate responded. Gered huffed and then handed the small box he was holding to him.

"Here. This is Rajing's. He'll need this."

"Why would he need this?" The magistrate took the box and found there was a lock in it, so he couldn't open it.

"Because it's all of his belonging," Gered answered.

"This is it? This small box?"

"Listen. I know my crew. Rajing is a simple man. He doesn't need a ship to carry all his things." He leaned closer to the old man. "And look at those two. It's a match made by St. Elimine herself. He's better spending the rest of his life here than on my ship. He may have to deal with the cold, but I think we both know that he would be willing to live with it if it means he can be with your daughter, there."

The magistrate nodded in agreement. Indeed he had seen how well they had bonded over the two months. The man didn't need a lot to run his life; he was calm, reasonable, skilled, strong and had a clear head to think with. Rajing would make a great son-in-law.

"I see what you mean. Farewell, captain," the old man said.

"Aye. Good luck, and stay well, you land-lubber." The captain chuckled and turned around to walk away. The magistrate then walked up to the pair as they were still talking. They both turned around, but it was Rajing whose eyes widened when he found the box in his hand.

"Where did you get that box?" he asked abruptly.

"Your captain gave it to me, Rajing." He handed the box over to him. Rajing took it and examined it as if looking for possible scratches on it.

"Why would he give this to you?"

"What's in it, Rajing?" Melanie asked. There was a moment of silence before the native replied.

"All of my possessions," he told her. Melanie looked at him in shock.

"That's it? What's in there?"

"A few herbs, flint, a pistol bow, a few charms," Rajing listed off. The magistrate cleared his throat, which brought both of their attentions to him.

"Rajing, there is something I would like to ask of you, but I have a feeling you'll have to do it whether you like it or not." When Rajing raised an eyebrow in confusion, he continued. "Ever since you came to our little village, you've been nothing but a great joy to have around. You helped me with my sickness. My people say that you are a very kind person to be around. You've even taken the heart of my precious daughter!"

"Father!" Melanie exclaimed as her cheeks reddened. The old man chuckled.

"I've seen it with my own eyes and have heard it with my own ears. I would be very happy if you accepted my request to join our small home and live with me and my daughter."

"Father!" his daughter exclaimed again, only this time with glee in her voice. She turned to Rajing with eyes that begged him to accept the offer.

"What of the captain? And my crew?" the Sacaean inquired.

"Your captain said he's seen the same thing. If you don't accept, you'll have to hurry and catch him before he leaves," he replied.

"Rajing…" Melanie murmured. The native looked down at the box in his hands as he thought long and hard about the chance to begin a new life here in Ilia. The magistrate hoped he would choose to accept. He had never seen Melanie so happy in all of his years of living ever since she was just a little girl. He wanted to continue to see her just as lively.

The Sacaean finally had a smile grow on his face. He looked up at the old man and nodded. "I would be happy to live here."

* * *

GOODNESS! I haven't posted anything in forever. It's nice to be back. So, what exactly have I been doing for several months? ...Does anyone even remember me?

Long story short, my USB crapped out and I wasn't smart enough to have a backup. I've since then moved onto other categories on Fanfictions, namely mythology. But I also wanted to start something here for the fun of it. If you've read this far, then maybe you've noticed the request I have in the summary of this one-shot that took me nearly a month to finish?

Here's my problem. I have a whole story ready to be written; ideas, plot by the chapter; everything. But with my main focus being on my mythology story, I don't have a lot of time get this FE7 story written and posted. So if anyone is interested in writing a FE story, see the full request with details and PM me if you are willing to take it on. If not, then that's alright; it's not like I absolutely want this story to get out there. This is all I've got for now. So long!


End file.
